Cherry Blossoms
by Hopeful Romantic
Summary: A ficlit about John and Delenn. Just pure fluff about John's feelings for Delenn set somewhere around Ceremonies.


**Disclaimer: **All delusions of granduer aside, Babylon 5 is owned by JMS the Great Maker, and all the high mucky mucks of television. I am making no money from this of course, and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Rating:** PG at most, primarily for the brief use of mild swearing and general romantic themes.

**Timeline:** Somewhere around "Ceremonies"

**Summary:** Short piece of fluff about John and Delenn.

**Author's Notes:** Warning, may cause sugar shock. Seriously, this one is quite sappy. This is also a re-post of an old story as something happened to all my fiction, and I have to re-post it all. Should only have some typo corrections, otherwise the same.

**Feedback:** I love constructive criticism. And thank you to everyone and Shorty51 for reviewing the original posting.

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_Cherry Blossoms_

People passing through the garden gave the grim faced man a wide space. Something about his dark air sent them as wide as they possibly could go. As he paced over the gravel path, the small pebbles crunching beneath his boots, he sent other people scattering as easily as the pebbles before his feet.

"Damn," he swore, "damn, damn, damn."

Finally, Captain Sheridan sat on the bench, his face stormy. His eyes reflected the dark thoughts racing through his mind; shadows and more shadows. "How can you fight shadows?" He murmured low under his breath.

His thoughts turned even darker, spiraling ever downward. Restless once more, he rose from the bench and made his way down the garden's paths until finally he ended up in a small copse of cherry trees. Their delicate silver pink blossoms trembled in the recycled air as they fell in small spirals to the grass below.

He held out his left hand, and a single blossom fell into his open palm. It lay there lightly, a soft perfume gracing its tender petals. Gently, as John contemplated the flower in his hand, his thoughts rose out of the dark shadows that they had been lurking in.

Unbidden, the image of Delenn came to his mind. More and more, the beautiful Minbari had been finding her way into his thoughts. John wasn't exactly certain how he felt about that, even ashis thoughts further explored the memories that he had of Delenn's sweet presence.

_"What would her cheek feel like beneath my fingertips," _he wondered? He could imagine its warmth, and the softness of her skin. He could image trailing his fingertips down her cheek and to her chin.

_"What would she do?"_ he questioned silently.

_"What would Delenn do if I held her chin and kissed her?"_

John could imagine the feel of those soft lips beneath his. He could imagine catching her breath in his and sharing it. With an almost frightening clarity, he could picture her in his arms as he kissed her. John could envision how it would feel to loose himself in the wonder of her eyes; in the pleasure of the experience.

Then suddenly, as if the very intensity of his thoughts had drawn her, Delenn was standing there before him.

"Captain Sheridan," she said in her rich voice, "John?"

With an effort, Captain Sheridan pushed his imaginings aside. He fervently hoped that the ambassador could not tell in which direction his thoughts had been traveling.

"Delenn, how can I help you?" John answered the Minbari ambassador.

Delenn tilted her head slightly and seemed to see something in John's face. "Are you all right, John?"

"I'm fine, Delenn. It's just been a rough day," John answered as lightly as he could.

Delenn watched him a moment more in silence, and John felt himself grow somewhat worried that she would see something there that he was not certain he wanted to bring out fully into the open yet.

He watched, mesmerized, as her hand rose slowly to touch his cheek. Gently, she held her hand there as she looked into his eyes. He felt locked in place, his pulse racing. Everything seemed focused on that one point of contact.

Impulsively, he reached up and drew her hand from his cheek and to his lips. His eyes remained locked with her dark ones. Gently, and with infinite tenderness, John kissed her hand. His lips brushed against her palm and he felt her shiver lightly in response. He smiled softly, and Delenn shivered once more at the feel of his smile against her hand.

Still lost in the moment of impulse, John drew Delenn's hand to his chest. His own rested lightly atop hers where it lay against his heartbeat. He knew that his pulse was racing, and recklessly, in this moment, he wanted her to feel that.

John couldn't keep the smile from his face and he watched as Delenn allowed her own lips to curl upward. When he removed his hand from hers to touch her cheek, he found himself quietly pleased that she kept hers where it was.

Suddenly, Sheridan's link chimed. It broke the moment and brought both John and Delenn back to themselves. Delenn hesitated a moment then quickly whirled away.

"Delenn," John said, but she was already well on her way out of earshot.

"Damn," he whispered, not at all certain how he felt. His thoughts were racing as fast as his pulse. His link chimed again, drawing the captain's attention to it.

"Sheridan here; go."

"Captain," Ivanova's voice came over the link, "You're needed in C&C."

"I'll be right there Susan; Sheridan out," he said and the link went silent.

Quietly, John bent to pick up a cherry blossom from where it lay in the grass. He rose, the tender flower soft in his hand as he looked in the direction that Delenn had gone.

"I sure hope I can learn how to fly," he whispered...


End file.
